Device for preventing abrasion between drill pipes and surrounding well casings



051*- .3. W 57 X I 22 I 2! & k 2% A z itjfifii x Q1 V g y .2. 7 47 Mm Sk June 17, 1930. w "r WOODS DEVICE FOR.PREVENTING ABRASION BETWEEN DRILLPIPES AND SURROUNDING WELL CASINGS Filed Feb, 1'7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1June 17, 1930. WOODS 1,764,769

W. T. DEVICE FOR PREVENTING ABRASION BETWEEN DRILL PIPES AND SURROUNDINGWELL CASINGS Filed Feb. 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER T. WOODS, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, I

TO BYRON JACKSON CO., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE DEVICE FOR PREVENTING ABRASION BETWEEN DRILL PIPES ANDSURROUNDING WELL CASINGS Application filed February 17, 1928. Serial No.254,966.

This invention relates to the art of drilling wells by the hydraulicrotary method, and the principal object of the invention is to pro videa device which will prevent abrasion between the drill pipe and thesurrounding well casing.

In drilling of wells, such as oil wells, by the hydraulic rotary method,drilling fluid is continually passed down through the revolving drillpipe to the bit and returns upward therefrom between the drill pipe andthe well casing to the surface of the well and carries with it insuspensionthe detritus, such as sand, which is removed from theformation. This circulation of the drilling fluid requires that there bea substantial space between the outside of the drill pipe and the wellcasing for the return flow of the drilling fluid. Inasmuch as the drillpipe in operation is subjected to considerable compression due to itsown weight, and inasmuch as the hole drilled is never entirely verticalbut generally follows a helical or corkscrew shape, the drill pipe,particularly the collars and tool joints thereof, contacts with the wellcasing at a number of points and effects a rapid abrasion of the wellcasing unless means are provided for preventing such abrasion.

The present invention provides a device for preventing the abrasionbetween the drill pipe and well casing by including a rotatablecontacting sleeve surrounding the drill pipe which contacting sleeve ismade of a larger outside diameter than the remainder of the drill pipebut at the same time is formed of sufficiently small diameter that ampleclearance is left between the drill pipe and the .well casing for thereturn passage of the drilling fluid and also for the introduction offishing tools. Inasmuch as the drill pipe is of greatest weight at itscouplings such as the collars or tool joints, these rotatable consleeveand the portlon of the drill pipe which is surrounded by such sleeve asupporting means for the contacting'sleeve. The devices heretoforeprovided for the purpose of the present invention have generallyincluded as such supporting means some form of hearings have had atendency to rapidly wear the drill pipe, and the bearings themselves attimes are crushed due to the impact of the drill pipe against the wallof the casing.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device ofthis class with supporting means for the contacting sleeve formed ofbearing metal shrunk upon the drill pipe and forming an integral partthereof to the end that a support is provided for such contacting sleevewhich will not be crushed when the drill pipe impacts against the wellcasing and which will not rapidly wear the drill pipe. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide a supportingmeans for such contacting sleeve, which supporting means is formed ofbearing metal in a form which is adapted for receiving both radial andend thrust from said contacting sleeve.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the description of the preferred forms of devicesembodying the invention. For this purpose, there is hereinafterdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings the preferred formof device embodying the in- .vention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation in partial section of a well hole and easingshowing a drill pipe therein provided with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation in vertical section of the tool jointwhichforms a part of the drill pipe shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; v

Figure 4 is an elevation in vertical section of a slightly modifiedformof device illustrating the device as part of a collar for the drillpipe;

Figure is an elevation in vertical section of a further modification ofthe invention;

Figure 6 is an elevation in vertical section of a further modificationof the present inven- 5 tion; and I F igure7 is an elevation in sectionof a mold and tool joint member.

Referring to the drawings,2 generally indicates a well bore, the upperportion of which is lined by a well casing 3. 4 generally indicates thedrill pipe disposed within the well casing.

The drill pipe 4 is shown as comprising one or more collars 5 and one ormore tool joints 6. The tool joints 6 are employed between sections ofthe drill pipe 4 which must be frequently connected and disconnected inthe various operations incidental to drilling a well. As lllustrated inFigure 1, one or more of the tool joints 6 and collars 5 of the drillpipe are provided with the protecting devices of the present invention.Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the tool joint 6 isindicated as formed as usual of the joint members 7 and 8. The lowermember 8 is pro vlded at its lower end with a pipe threaded socket 9 andat its upper end with a coarse threaded tapered socket or box 10. The upper joint member 7 at its lower end is provided with the usual coarsethreaded tapered pin 11 and at its upper end with a threaded socket 12threaded for engagement with pipe threads. The coarse threads and 11between the tool joint members 7 and 8 provide a means by which the tooljoint may be connected or disconnected by a small number of turns. "Nearthe pin end of the joint member 7, the joint member 7 is surrounded by acon- .tacting sleeve 13, the ends of which are preferably tapered asindicated at 14 to prevent the sleeve catching upon the ends of the wellcasing sections. Said contacting sleeve 13 is formed of an outsidediameter larger than that of the remainder of the tool joint 6 butsufiiciently smaller than the inside diameter of the well casing 2thereby leaving ample space therebetween for the returning drillingfluid and for the insertion of fishing tools. Above the contactingsleeve 13, the joint member 7 is made sufliciently long to provide anample space 15 by means of which the upper oint member 7 may be engagedby tongs when it is desired to connect or disconnect the tool joint. Thetool joint is shown as having the usual inner bore 16 through which thedrilling fluid may be passed.

- The body of the upper joint member 7 is indicated as provided with anannular recess 17 for receiving the contacting sleeve 13 and interposedbetween the base of said recess and the contacting sleeve 13 there isprovided a supporting means in the form of a sleeve of bearing metal-18. Said sleeve of bearing metal 18 is preferably provided with one or 5more rings or flanges 19 which fit in complementary inner annulargrooves 20 in the contacting sleeve 13 in order to provide a means forrotatably locking the sleeve 13 against axial movement and to provide ameans for taking up the end thrust upon said contacting sleeve 13. Thebody of the tool joint member 7 is also provided with a number oflongitudinal grooves 21 (see Figure 3) in the base of the annular recess17 and the sleeve of bearing metal 18'is provided with a number oflongitudinal ribs 22 fitting in said longitudinal grooves 21 to providea means for locking the sleeve of bearing metal 18 against rotationrelative to the joint member 7.

The preferred mode of manufacturing and assembling the tool joint shownin Figures 2 and 3 is as follows: Tool jointmember 7 is first preferablyheated to a temperature sulficient so that it will not chill the bearingmetal when poured therein and the groove 17 in the joint member 7 isthen enclosed by a removable mold 32 (see Figure 7) having annulargrooves 33 in its inner surface corresponding to the annular grooves 20in the contacting sleeve 13. The mold 32 is provided with means such aslugs 34 for centering the mold on the joint member 7. Molten bearingmetal, such as bronze, is then poured into the mold and permitted toharden and to shrink about the body of the joint member 7. The sleeve ofbearing metal thus formed then constitutes an integral part ofthe jointmember 7. To position the contacting sleeve 13 in place, said contactingsleeve 13 is first formed in two semi-circular portions as shown inFigure 3 having the triangular grooves 24 at the meeting edges thereof.The two semi-circular portions of the contacting sleeve 13 are thenplaced over the sleeve 18 and welded together by welding material intothe grooves 24 at the meeting edges of the bearing sleeve.

The form of the invention just described provides a drill pipe-with arevoluble contacting sleeve operative for engaging the well casing whenthe drill pipe is forced thereag'ainst as indicated in Figure 1 andoperative for holding the remainder of the drill pipe away from the wellcasing and thus protecting the well casing from abrasive contact withthe drill pipe. The drill pipe may then readily rotate while thecontacting sleeve 13 remains substantially stationary and the sleeve ofbearing metal 18 operates to provide for the free relative rotationbetween the drill pipe and contacting sleeve 13 while at the same timethe bearing sleeve 18 and its annular ribs orrings 19 absorb both theradial and end thrust on said contacting sleeve 13. In the operations ofdrilling a well the drill pipe 4 is not only revolved in the well holebut moves slowly downwardly as the well deepens, and the contactingsleeve 13 is provided with supporting means operative for taking care ofboth radial and end thrusts Now referring to Figure 4 of the drawings,

the tool joint is shown as provided with aprotecting means generallysimilar to that shown in Figures 2 and 3.. The general form of this tooljoint being similar to that illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, reference ismade to the description of Figures 2 and 3 for the general features ofsaid tool joint. This form of the invention differs from the previousform in that the sleeve of bearing metal 18 is shown as having outturnedend flanges 27 and 28 at its ends which provide an additional means forreceiving the end thrust from the contacting sleeve 13.

Now referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, a modified form of theinvention is shown in which the contacting sleeve 13 and the sleeve ofbearing metal 18 are mounted upon a collar 7 b of the drill pipe ratherthan upon a tool joint. Also it is designed so that the contactingsleeve 13 may operate as a mold when it is desired to pour the sleeve ofbearing metal 18*. This form of the invention further difiers from thatof Figures 2, 3 and 4 in that the contacting sleeve 13 is initiallyprovided with an opening 29 which serves as a' means for admitting thebearing metal which is to form the sleeve 18 of bearing metal. In thisform of the invention the collar 7 and contacting sleeve 13* areassembled together before the pouring of the sleeve of bearing metal 18.In pouring the sleeve of bearing metal 18 the sleeve 13 operates as amold therefor and the opening 29 as a gate. It is understood that it ispreferable in pouring the sleeve 18 to heat the member 7 b and sleeve13* to a temperature suflicient so that these parts will not operate tochill the bearing metal while bein poured. After the bearing metal ispoure the opening 29 is cut out to remove the'bearing' metal and freethe sleeve 13 to allow it to rotate on the resulting formed sleeveofbearing metal. This opening 29 may then be closed by welding or by anyother manner.

,Now referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 6,this form of the invention is generally similar to that illustrated inFigures 2 and 3 except that it is designed so that the contacting sleeve13 may operate as a mold when it is desired to pour the sleeve ofbearing metal 18. For this purpose the body of the joint member 7 c isshown as provided with a recess 30 adjacent one end of the recess 17which recess 30 communicates through the channel 31 with the spacebetween the sleeve 13 and. member 7.

While the forms of the invention herein described are well adapted tocarry out the objects of the invention, it is understood that manymodifications and changes may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention, and the invention includes all such modifications andchanges as come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim from abrasion by a rotary string of drill pipe comprising acoupling member provided with an annular recess, a continuous sleeve ofbearing metal cast into said recess and shrunk upon said coupling memberthereby forming an integral part thereof, and a contacting sleevedisposed within said recess and revolvably mounted upon said sleeve ofbearing metal, said contacting sleevebeing externally of a size greaterthan the coupling member but substantially less than the diameter of theinterior of the well casing.

2. A device for protecting a well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member providedwith anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of hearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk .upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the well casing,said sleeve of bearing metal being shapedto engage said contactingsleeve for receiving both radial and end thrust.

3. A device for protecting a well cas1 ng from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill p pe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of bearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the well casing,there bemg interlocking means between said sleeve of bearing metal andsaid coupling membenfor holding the sleeve of bearing metal againstrotation relative to said coupling member.

4. A device for protecting a well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of bearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the well casing,said sleeve of bearing metal being formed to engage said contactingsleeve for receiving both radial and end thrust, there beinginterlocking means between said sleeve of bearing the sleeve of bearingmetal against rotation relative to said coupling member.

5. A device for protecting a Well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of bearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the Well casing,said contacting sleeve being composed of a plurality of segmentalsections joined at their abutting edges.

6. A device for protecting a well v casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of bearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the well casing,said sleeve of bearing metal being shaped to engage said contactingsleeve for receiving both radial and end thrust, said contacting sleevebeing composed of a plurality of segmental sections joined at theirabutting edges.

7. A device for protecting a well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of bearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed Within said recess andrevolvably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing metal, said contactingsleeve being externally of a size greater than the coupling member butsubstantially less than the diameter of the interior of the Well casing,there being interlocking means between said sleeve of bearing metal andsaid coupling member for holding the sleeve of bearing metal against.

rotation relative to said coupling member, said contacting sleeve beingcomposed of a plurality of segmental sections joined at their abuttingedges.

8. A device for protecting a Well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe comprising a coupling member provided with anannular recess, a continuous sleeve of hearing metal cast into saidrecess and shrunk upon said coupling member thereby forming an integralpart thereof, and a contacting sleeve disposed within said recess andrevolv-- ably mounted upon said sleeve of bearing of a size greater thanthe coupling member but substantially less than the diameter of theinterior of the well casing, said sleeve of- 1 bearing metal beingshaped to engage said bearing sleeve for receiving both radial and endthrust, there being interlocking means between said sleeve of bearingmetal and said coupling member for holding the sleeve of bearing metalagainst rotation relative to said coupling member, said contactingsleeve being composed of a plurality of segmental sections joined attheir abuttingedges.

9. A device for protecting a Well casing from abrasion by a rotarystring of drill pipe, comprising a tool joint having an annular recesstherein, a contacting continuous sleeve within said recess and having anoutside diameter larger than said coupling but substantially smallerthan said Well casing, and bearing metal interposed between saidcontacting sleeve and the body of said tool joint and shrunk upon saidtool joint for revolvably mounting said contacting sleeve, said bearingmetal and contacting sleeve having confronting surfaces shaped toprovide a rotatable axial locking means for the contactin sleeve.

igned at Los Angeles, California this 31st day of January, 1928.

WALTER T. \VOODS.

metal, said contacting sleeve being externally i

